#TopGearChallenge One: our favourites

Well, thanks a lot everyone – you’ve made us feel totally inadequate with your ridiculously impressive #TopGearChallengeOne entries.

The first of our new series of car-based challenges centred around engineering, and we asked you all to build a car from anything and everything you could found lying around the house. 

We had hundreds of entries, ranging from crazy cardboard creations to sofa-sized simulators and fully autonomous robot cars – yeah, seriously. We were mightily impressed.

It wasn’t an easy task to pick our favourites, but with a little bit of help from Andy Palmer, Vehicle Line Director of McLaren, we think we’ve managed it. Have a click through the gallery to see if yours made the cut, and keep an eye on TopGear.com for the next challenge coming up soon...

Andy says: “Some great use of colour (even if it is Rosso Corsa!), love the rear wing and the helmet.”

And a big shout out to Ben’s brother Archie for his awesome attempt. 

Andy says: “Well done – great colour choice and love the use of the sunglasses.”

Andy says: “Some great detail work, love the spare wheel on the back, the door handles and the front grill.”

Andy says: “Well done, love the use of the plant pots for wheels (hope Mum had taken the plants out first!)”

Big shout out to Oli too! All of us at TG must apologise to your parents for the paint on the patio. Oops.

Andy says: “Fantastic – love the use of the water bottles, the wakeboard for the rear wing and the hairdryer for the pit wheel gun. Great job!”

Andy says: “Great effort – love the Recaro seats and the wheel design.”

Andy says: “Love the use of the dingy paddle for the nose cone and what looks like gym weights for the wheels – very stealth and the roof scoop is brilliant! (Very McLaren!)”

Andy says: “Some great detail work on the engine, well done on front splitter design and rear wing. Also great collection of cars in the background!”

Andy says: “A wonderful connection back to the awesome McLaren Vodafone era. Great job on the front wing.”

Andy says: “Very precise and detailed. Well done.”

Andy says: “Fantastic concept! Three-wheeler, dihedral doors, central seat and love the use of the glazing in the upper section. Design of the rear lights look integrated and love the use of the aero devices on the front wheels!”

Andy says: “Great job – very detailed, great seeing the wishbone design and the use of a Halo.”

Andy says: “A great resemblance of Porsche No:1. Love the chrome paint effect and the individual panels.”

Andy says: “Very close to our first prototype of the Senna – great proportions and well done on the pin-striping.”

Andy says: “Great representation of the presenters, nice detail on the Speedtail, with the wheels, glass house and the side cameras.”

Andy says: “Great hot-rod, very mean and menacing – particularly like the bottle tops for wheels.”

Andy says: “Sleek and modern work and some great thought around the aero design. Great job.”

Andy says: “Great detail, great photography. Very utilitarian design.”

Andy says: “Great livery and use of colour choice. Some good detail and representation of the 935.”

Andy says: “Very precise and accurate. Great proportions and interesting use of materials.”

Andy says: “A nice take on the original Lambo Marzal or Maserati Boomerang. Love the use of glazing in the doors. Very futuristic.”

Andy says: “A nice nod to Bugatti Heritage.”

Andy says: “Original and clever - unique and innovative design - well done.”

Andy says: “Great use of toilet rolls for wheels!”

(And of course, bonus points for the very good dog hiding in the corner.)

We absolutely must give a special mention to Anderson, who spent a week making this fantastic car out of recycled materials with his dad, only for his house to be hit by an EF4 tornado meaning he couldn’t submit it before the deadline. It must have been brilliantly built to survive that though, Anderson – top work!